Digging deeper: Homeless camps raise concerns in the Eastern Quarter | News

TUCSON (KVOA) – Homeless camps are worrying an eastern neighborhood.

A camp that packed up and moved left a huge mess near Golf Links and Wilmot roads.

This is just one of many neighborhoods in the city where homeless camps have sprung up. Neighbors say the litter left behind is not just an eyesore and a safety concern.

“I think it was mainly a health issue because the trash was everywhere,” resident Robert Hartley said.

Hartley contacted the Digging Deeper team in December. He shared his concerns about this huge pile of rubbish left in a former homeless encampment.

“They had tents and all the way up there. It was a huge buildup,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, they’re gone.”

Garbage had been piling up in the area for months with no effort from the city to clean it up.

“I’ve been texting them and things like that, but you know, they’re really busy,” Hartley said.

Now, weeks later, the Digging Deeper team has learned that city crews traveled to the area last month. Hartley said things have improved a lot.

“Oh, huge improvement. Huge improvement,” he said. “Now I feel very comfortable walking here with the dog.”

Meanwhile, another huge encampment near Golf Links and Swan Roads only seems to be growing.

The city says it is waiting for housing for those now living in tents and other makeshift homes.

“There has to be reasonable housing for them – you can’t just say you have to move out and we don’t have housing for them,” the Tucson Police Department Sgt. said Jack Julsing. “So where are they going to go?”

At this point, the city does not have a timeline on when the camp near the Golf Links and Swan Roads will be dismantled.

They are asking anyone with concerns about encampments on city property to contact them so the homeless outreach team can respond.

Have a topical tip or want to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at [email protected].